Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite U.S. Attempts To Water Down Global Breast-Feeding Resolution, States Are Actually Making Strides To Protect It
Stateline: The U.S. Targeted Breastfeeding Abroad. Here At Home, It’s Another Story.
The Trump administration this spring tried to remove pro-breastfeeding language from a World Health Organization resolution. But here at home, breastfeeding has steadily become more accepted and accessible — culminating this year in the 49th and 50th states enacting laws to allow it in public. The World Health Organization resolution stated that breast milk is the healthiest choice for babies and encouraged countries to crack down on misleading claims from purveyors of formula. Attempts by the United States to remove language that called on governments to “protect, promote and support breastfeeding” were unsuccessful, but the move shocked researchers and health advocates who have long contended “breast is best.” (Beitsch, 7/12)
Meanwhile, a deep look at what happened with the resolution —
Reveal: Trump Team Weakened Global Efforts To Control Marketing Of Baby Formula
Changes made to an international breastfeeding resolution under pressure from the Trump administration are more extensive than previously reported and were aimed at diluting efforts to limit the marketing of baby formula. Most provisions related to stopping “inappropriate promotion” by baby formula companies were eliminated from the United Nations’ World Health Assembly resolution, according to documents and interviews with attendees by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. (Neilson, 7/11)
